Lucy Sherriff2015-08-02T19:12:49-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=lucy-sherriffCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Lucy SherriffGood old fashioned elbow grease.Four Charts Showing How Far The UK Has Come In Tackling The Energy Crisistag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2015-07-31T10:19:17-04:002015-07-31T12:59:01-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-sherriff/
New data from the Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) also revealed a 10% decrease in carbon emissions, which is the largest ever fall alongside economic growth.

Using the government's data, The Carbon Brief pulled together four charts showing exactly what happened to the UK's energy mix during 2014.

]]>Freak Weather Event Made It Feel Like 70C In The Iranian City Of Bandar Mahshahr Yesterdaytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2015-07-31T06:22:28-04:002015-07-31T12:59:01-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-sherriff/
Residents of Bandar Mahshahr, a city near the mouth of the Persian Gulf, were subjected to the stifling heat when the temperature hit 43C (109F), and the dew point reached 32C (90F).

The highest heat index ever recorded is between 68.3C and 71.1C, felt in Dharhan, Saudi Arabia on July 8, 2003, according to The Vane.

As History in the Headlines reports: "Seven years after Death Valley’s record-breaking day, South America experienced its hottest day when the mercury reached 120.4 degrees Fahrenheit in Villa de María, Argentina.

"In 1931, the south Tunisian town of Kebii saw temperatures reach 131 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the hottest day on the African continent.

"Ownership of Europe’s hottest day is under debate, with most scientists rejecting Catenanuova, Italy’s 1999 claim of 119.3 degrees in favour of the 118.4-degree day residents of Athens, Greece endured in July 1977."

]]>Zimbabwe Seeks Extradition Of Walter Palmer, The American Dentist Who Killed Cecil The Liontag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2015-07-31T05:16:58-04:002015-07-31T06:59:01-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-sherriff/A petition to the White House to extradite Walter Palmer, from Minnesota, hit 160,000 signatures on Thursday, exceeding the 100,000 threshold needed to generate an official response from the Obama administration.

The White House has yet to respond to Zimbabwe's extradition order, although did retweet the news the petition had crossed the 100,000 signature mark.

Palmer, who allegedly paid 50,000 dollars (£31,900) to track and shoot the animal, has said he was unaware the lion was protected and had relied on his local guide to ensure the hunt was legal. He is now in hiding and has closed his dental practice.

Theo Bronkhorst, who is facing criminal charges for his role in Cecil's death, has claimed Palmer wanted to hunt a "very large elephant" after shooting the protected animal.

Palmer, from Minneapolis, shot the lion with a bow and arrow at around 10pm on July 1 after it had been lured outside Hwange National Park by bait. It was not until 9am the next day that the hunters finally tracked down and killed the animal.

The group then skinned and decapitated Cecil, removing his collar so the carcass could not be identified.

The UN general assembly unanimously adopted its first ever resolution aimed at tackling wildlife trafficking on Thursday, which, although is not legally binding, reflects growing opposition to poaching.

Shortly before 6pm PT, the Fennica sailed through the wall of activists who were suspended from a bridge in Portland, Oregon.

"Everybody's hearts are broken," Greenpeace USA spokeswoman Cassady Sharp said Thursday evening, after the 13 protesters had been dangling from the bridge over the Willamette River for more than two days.

Greenpeace had aimed to delay Shell's ship from departing for the Chukchi Sea, where it would enable the oil company to start drilling.

Drilling at the Arctic site cannot proceed without the icebreaker ship, as it is carrying a key piece of safety equipment on board, which stops oil leaks if a well blows out.

The environmental organisation wanted to delay the ship for long enough so it would mean Shell lost a year work - giving time for President Obama to revoke approval to drill for oil in the Alaskan Arctic.

Portland police eventually used hooks to remove protesting kayakers from the ship's path, while a special emergency response officer rappelled over the bridge and cut the lines connecting the protesters. Two of the activists came down voluntarily, while a third had to be removed by firefighters and lowered onto a boat - leaving a big enough gap for the Fennica to move through.

In May, Obama approved Shell's plan to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea, in the Alaskan Arctic. According to Greenpeace, the Obama administration has predicted a 75% chance of a major oil spill if Shell develops its leases in the Sea.

There has since been a campaign by Greenpeace called "Shell No", which has attracted numerous celebrity supporters, including Pierce Brosnan, Naomi Campbell and Ozzy Osborne. On Thursday it was revealed Shell's profits had fallen as a result of Greenpeace's protest in Portland.

Shell has approval from the Obama administration to work in the Arctic region until September 28, and the company aims to sink at least one drill bit during that time to confirm the presence of oil. A research letter published in January by the Nature journal said in order to avert some of the worst outcomes of climate change, "all Arctic resources should be considered as unburnable".

The decision to grant Shell a permit to drill was alone controversial; the oil company's attempts to find oil in 2012 resulted in its Kulluk rig running aground, while the operator of one of its drill ships pleaded guilty to eight offenses and had to pay $12.2m fine for dubious record-keeping, hazardous conditions and polluting water.

#ShellNo protesters hang from the St. Johns Bridge to stop the passage of the Shell Oil icebreaker MSV Fennica.

]]>Newcastle Teen Liam Lyburd Found Guilty Of Planning Mass Murder At His Former College After Bomb Plot Exposedtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2015-07-30T09:19:56-04:002015-07-30T10:59:01-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-sherriff/
Following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court, Liam Lyburd was found guilty on Thursday of plotting to kill students and teachers at Newcastle College.

Photo dated 6/11/2014 of Liam Lyburd, who has been convicted of planning mass murder at his former college

The teenager learned how to make pipe bombs and put together a Glock semi-automatic handgun from parts he bought off the internet. The former Newcastle College student told the jury he was trying to get the attention of online friends, that he was an internet troll, and said he had no intention of harming anyone.

He added buying the handgun was as easy as "buying a bar of chocolate".

After the guilty verdict Liam Lyburd made a shooting gesture to his head

Lyburd pleaded guilty to nine charges relating to making five pipe bombs, two home-made explosive devices, possessing a handgun, bullets and CS gas, but denied eight charges of possessing those items with an intent to endanger life at Newcastle College. He was convicted of all eight counts.

During the trial, the court heard Lyburd blamed the college for his "miserable life" and making him look like a "fool".

Undated handout photo issued by the Crown Prosecution Office of item recovered from the home in Newcastle of Liam Lyburd

In a note about Newcastle College, which he deleted from his computer but was recovered by an IT specialist, Lyburd said he would show no mercy in the attack, Sky News reports.

According to ITV, the note read: "You people ruined my whole life, don’t expect me to show mercy today. No one disrespects me and gets away with it.

"I’ll teach you people a little lesson on respect with my 9mm jacketed hollow points. Fantasy will become reality today for sure. It’s time for extreme civil disobedience and yes, people will die, there’s no question about that."

The teen was expelled from the college for "shocking" behaviour.

Undated handout photo issued by the Crown Prosecution Office of pictures recovered from the laptop of Liam Lyburd. The teenager accused of plotting mass murder at his former college wrote a note on his laptop blaming the establishment for his "miserable life" and making him look a fool, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

He told a girl on Skype he wanted to kill, referencing the Anders Breivik massacre in Norway.

The jury also heard Lyburd told police he was going to "shoot a bunch of people", and blow up Newcastle College, according to the BBC.

Police officers found a black "kill bag" containing a balaclava, safety glasses and pipe bombs with nails taped to them.

Newcastle College, where Lyburd plotted a mass murder

Lyburd has been told by the judge to expect a "lengthy custodial sentence" when he is sentenced in September.

"What may have begun as fantasy was all too real," said Judge Paul Sloan QC.

The plot was foiled following a tip off from a member of the public, which led to Lyburd's arrest in November.]]>Greenpeace Activists Suspend Themselves From Portland Bridge To Stop Shell Ship Headed To Arctic For Oil Drilltag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2015-07-30T06:29:54-04:002015-07-30T11:59:01-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-sherriff/UPDATE: Shell's icebreaker ship, which had started heading towards the activists, has now turned back to the dock.

Suspended gracefully from the steel suspension bridge which crosses the Willamette River in Portland, with red and yellow flags billowing in the breeze, the figures resemble trapeze artists putting on a show for the world.

But the individuals camped out under St John's Bridge in Oregon are Greenpeace activists, attempting to block Shell's ship which is headed to the Arctic to drill for oil.

The 380ft Fennica was due to depart at 4.45am on Wednesday, but has yet to leave the port, the Guardian reports.

The 13-strong group of environmental activists, along with numerous kayakers, have spent the night dangling from Portland's tallest bridge bridge since 2am PT, in a bid to halt the ship's journey.

"Every second we stop Shell counts," says Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace US. "The brave climbers here in Portland are now what stand between Shell and Arctic oil. This is President Obama’s last chance to wake up and realise the disaster that could happen on his watch."

In May, Obama approved Shell's plan to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea, in the Alaskan Arctic. According to Greenpeace, the Obama administration has predicted a 75% chance of a major oil spill if Shell develops its leases in the Sea.

Greenpeace activist Georgia Hirsty, one of the climbers rappelled from the bridge, said: "I'm filled with gratitude and humility for all those who have carried this fight."

Drilling at the oil company's Arctic site cannot proceed without the icebreaker ship, as it is carrying a key piece of safety equipment on board, which stops oil leaks if a well blows out.

A Shell spokeswoman added: "The Fennica will begin its return journey to Alaska once we’ve completed the final preparations."

페이스북에서 허핑턴포스트 팔로우하기 | 트위터에서 허핑턴포스트 팔로우하기 | 허핑턴포스트에 문의하기]]>Cecil The Lion Scientist Admits Hunting Has A Part To Play In Conservation - But There's No Place For Killing Lionstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2015-07-29T09:52:31-04:002015-07-29T13:59:02-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-sherriff/
Speaking to The Huffington Post UK from his office in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, Brent Stapelkamp said it had been an "emotional time" following the death of the park's 13-year-old lion earlier this month.

"There's been a tornado of interest from the world," he said. "I feel that this is going to dramatically change the landscape for lion conservation."

Cecil was lured out of the park and shot with a crossbow by Walter Palmer, an "elite hunter" from Minnesota. Palmer, who has sparked an outcry for his arrest, insists he did nothing wrong.

Stapelkamp took what is believed to be the last known photograph of Cecil

The dentist has since gone into hiding, and released a statement via a local PR firm stating: "I hired several professional guides, and they secured all proper permits.

"To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted. I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favourite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt."

Oxford University's zoology department had been tracking lions in the Hwange park since 1999, and Cecil had worn an identity collar as part of the project - which enabled Stapelkamp and his team to realise something was wrong.

Stapelkamp checks the collars of the 500 or so lions who live in the park every day, and noticed Cecil's collar had stopped transmitting data. After hearing rumours a lion had been shot, the researcher sent a team to investigate. The next day, Cecil's carcass was found, decapitated, skinned, and ravaged by vultures.

"Lion hunting," Stapelkamp says, "there is no place for it."

He continues: "I think hunting has a part to play in African wildlife conservation as it allows land that is not really useful for anything else - including photographic safaris - to provide an income and remain as wildlife habitat.

"But and this is a big BUT.. it has to be controlled and transparent and the funds it generates need to come back to the land that provided it."

Palmer was previously described as an "elite hunter" in a 2009 New York Times article

It has now emerged a House Of Common's inquiry is being considered since the news of Cecil's death, with one MP saying he wanted to examine the poaching of animals, also including elephants, rhinos and tigers, and trafficking from Africa and Asia.

The African lion is not currently listed as threatened or endangered under the US's Endangered Species Act, meaning it is legal to import lion trophies, while the EU's import ban does not extend to Zimbabwe. More than 200 lions are legally killed and turned into trophies and sent to Europe every year.

Speaking with regards to illegal hunting, Stapelkamp added: "We have seen this type of thing a number of times over the years and I believe that with that in mind the US Fish and Wildlife are restricting things.

]]>Yoda The Owl Gets His Own Bath University Library Card As A Thank You For Scaring Off Seagullstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2015-07-29T07:45:18-04:002015-07-29T07:59:01-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-sherriff/
The seven-year-old Eagle Owl has been awarded his own library membership to the University of Bath as a thank you for his important work in frightening away seagulls from the campus.

Yoda visits the campus twice a week, as part of an environmentally-friendly way of control the number of gulls, which the university feared would become a nuisance for staff and students.

"The University has invited Yoda and his handler Marcus to visit the campus twice a week as an environmentally friendly method to control the seagull numbers on campus and thereby limit the potential adverse effects a large gull population can have," a spokesman said.

"During his visits, Yoda's presence has the effect of unsettling the gull population and dissuading them from hanging around on campus and from nesting further in the area.

"Yoda has been hand-reared by his owner which makes him very sociable with humans."

]]>Northumbria Student Paralysed From Waist Down After Moped Crash On Thailand Holidaytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2015-07-29T06:07:32-04:002015-07-29T07:59:01-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-sherriff/
David Eastham was left with life-changing injuries after being thrown from the 110cc vehicle when the driver lost control and skidded off the road. The 20-year-old suffered a broken back and left shoulder, punctured lung, a bleed in the brain, cracked ribs and nerve damage to his left forearm, and is currently paralysed from the stomach down.

Originally, the Manchester-born student's treatment wasn't covered by his insurance, as the company only insured accidents on mopeds of 55c or smaller. However after lengthy negotiations, the provider agreed to cover his treatment, although refused to pay for his family's expenses to be by his bedside, Manchester Evening News reports.

"I am desperate to get David fully mobile again," she wrote on the page, which has raised £4,230 of the £2,000 target to date. "I have had a huge amount of support from people and been asked to set up this page so people can continue to support David through this traumatic time. Thank you in advance for your generosity."

David, who was going into his third year of a business degree, will have to spend up to 12 months in the Southport Spinal Unit undergoing extensive rehabilitation. ]]>Are These The Last Known Photos Of Cecil The Lion, Hunted And Killed By American Dentist Walter Palmer?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2015-07-29T04:21:35-04:002015-07-29T05:59:01-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-sherriff/Cecil the Lion, Zimbabwe's famous big cat, was hunted down and killed by American dentist Walter Palmer, sparking outrage across the globe.

On July 1, the 13-year-old lion, who was part of an Oxford University study, was lured out of Hwange National Park with bait, shot with a crossbow, and then decapitated and skinned to take home as a trophy.

Brent Stapelkamp, one of the researchers at Oxford's zoology department, and based in Hwange, says he and his team were "absolutely devastated" when they found Cecil's carcass, which had been ravaged by vultures and hyenas.

"It was always in the back of our minds that a lion like that would get shot because he is so beautiful, and he is on the boundaries of the park," he told the Telegraph. "We try and be a bit cold, and professional scientists. But we were absolutely devastated, rocked to our cores. My immediate response was anger."

Stapelkamp says he believes he took the last known photographs of Cecil in May, who is pictured lying down with another male lion Jericho standing at his side, and on his own in the park.

"I feel betrayed by hunting," he added. "I was trained and taught that hunting was good for conservation. But it is no longer the case.

"Cecil's death has a silver lining," Stapelkamp added. "He is going to change the lion conservation world, thanks to the momentum this has brought. The world getting involved in the story."

]]>Peta Wants To See Cecil The Lion Killer Walter Palmer 'Extradited, Charged, And Preferably Hanged'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2015-07-29T03:19:43-04:002015-07-29T04:59:01-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-sherriff/Palmer released a statement on Tuesday saying he "had no idea" Cecil was a local favourite until the end of the hunt, which took place on July 1. The 13-year-old lion was found beheaded and skinned outside Hwange National Park, after being lured out of the borders with bait.

The protected lion known as Cecil strolls around in Hwange National Park, in Hwange, Zimbabwe in 2012

The lion, who had a distinctive black mane, was collared as part of an Oxford University study which has been ongoing since 1999, and was protected inside the park.

Palmer reportedly paid 50,000 US dollars (£32,000) to guides so that he could carry out the killing. The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said Palmer tied a dead animal to a car to lure the lion out of the national park before shooting him with a crossbow. The wounded lion was tracked down 40 hours later and shot dead by Palmer's group.

Cecil's six cubs are now expected to be killed by the next lion in the hierarchy, to prevent them mating.

Palmer (left) with one of his many "trophies"

In a statement released on Tuesday evening, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said:

"Hunting is a coward’s pastime. If, as has been reported, this dentist and his guides lured Cecil out of the park with food so as to shoot him on private property, because shooting him in the park would have been illegal, he needs to be extradited, charged, and, preferably, hanged.

To get a thrill at the cost of a life, this man gunned down a beloved lion, Cecil with a high-powered weapon. All wild animals are beloved by their own mates and infants, but to hunters like this overblown, over-privileged little man, who lack empathy, understanding, and respect for living creatures, they are merely targets to kill, decapitate, and hang up on a wall as a trophy.

The photograph of this dentist, smiling over the corpse of another animal, who, like Cecil, wanted only to be left in peace, will disgust every caring soul in the world."

"This was an animal species which should not have been hunted," a member of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force told BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday morning.

Dominic Dyer, policy advisor for the Born Free Foundation, added: "Every aspect in this hunt was wrong. The courts must take action against Palmer. If the EU and the American government stop the import of heads and skins of these animals then people would not go abroad to hunt them. It's a very important step."

Palmer was previously described as an "elite hunter"

In 2008, Palmer pleaded guilty to making a false statement to federal wildlife officials concerning the exact location of the killing of a black bear during a hunt in Wisconsin.

Palmer, a dentist in his early 50s from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was described as an "elite hunter" by a New York Times journalist, who profiled the American in a 2009 article.

"Palmer, said to be capable of skewering a playing card from 100 yards with his compound bow, has cultivated a purist’s reputation for his disinclination to carry firearms as backup," the journalist wrote.

Palmer has gone into hiding after the outcry over the killing of Cecil

On a blog called "Trophy Hunt America", Palmer is pictured holding up various dead animals he had killed with his crossbow and arrow - including a leopard he had slain in Zimbabwe.

According to the blog, which is run by a hunting guide, Palmer was hoping to be inducted in the Pope & Young Club, a "fraternity of bowhunters" which supports the ethical pursuit of wildlife, and keeps records on bow-harvested big game animals.

In a statement released on Tuesday by a local public relations company, Palmer said: "I hired several professional guides, and they secured all proper permits.

"To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted. I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favourite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt."

Beks Ndlovo, chief executive of the African Bush Camps, a private safari company in Zimbabwe, said he wanted the practice of hunting lions to be stopped.

"In my personal capacity... I strongly object and vehemently disagree with the legalising and practice of hunting lions in any given area.

"I will personally be encouraging Zimbabwe National Parks and engaging with Government Officials to stop the killing of lions and with immediate effect."

After being identified as the killer, Palmer's Yelp page was besieged buy furious commenters. One person posted: “Nothing in this world would give me greater pleasure than to see your head mounted on a wall, your carcass defiled, degraded and paraded as you did to Cecil and near countless other animals."

Palmer's dental practice is now closed, with local residents posting pictures of the surgery with tributes to the fallen lion outside. A note on the door of his home referred callers to the public relations firm.

]]>Walt Palmer, Dentist Hunter Who 'Killed Cecil The Lion', Has His Review Page Hijackedtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2015-07-28T10:11:23-04:002015-07-28T10:59:01-04:00Lucy Sherriffhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-sherriff/
Palmer, who reportedly bribed a wildlife guide to let him hunt the beast, is also a dentist at a practice in Minnesota. And now there's some very angry people hijacking his review page.

One simply reads "sadist", while another alleges: "Your dentist, Walter Palmer, is probably charging you extra so that he can afford to pay for his lion hunting vice. Just so you know where your hard earned money is going!"

Palmer (left) with one of his many "trophies"

Dan B, of Brooklyn, New York, chimed in with a rather more dental-appropriate review: "It would be one thing if Walter Palmer ever started or ended an appointment on time, but he doesn't. It would be another thing altogether if it seemed for even an instant he even pretended to pay attention, but after yet another seemingly excessive crown, its clear that all Dr. Palmer cares about is money.

"Perhaps if he wasn't flying around the world to hunt lions (what?!) he would have the time and attention to detail his patients require."

Cecil was wounded by a crossbow and arrow, and then killed 40 hours later

Chloe O from Janesville, Wisconsin, concludes: "Just so you know, when you give money to this practice, you are helping to continue the destruction of wildlife...

Palmer allegedly shot Cecil with a bow and arrow earlier this month in Hwange National Park. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to making a false statement to federal wildlife officials concerning the exact location of the killing of a black bear during a hunt in Wisconsin.

Cecil's decapitated, skinned body was found about half a mile out of the national park, after being lured out at night with bait. Animals are only allowed to be killed within the park during the day - and with a permit.

The animal was believed to have been wounded by Palmer's bow and arrow before finally being shot dead 40 hours later. The animal's collar was also removed, breaking the park's rules.

His six cubs will now be killed, as a new male lion won't allow them to live.

Johnny Rodrigues, the head of Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said: "He was one of the most beautiful animals to look at. He never bothered anybody."]]>